SCFL premier: Steyning, Little Comnon and Crawley Down Gatwick among opening-day winners

Steyning Town 3 Bexhill United 1

report by Richard WoodbridgeThe Barrowmen started their new campaign in fine style on Saturday with an impressive 3-1 win at home to Bexhill United.

On a bright & sunny (yes really!) yet quite breezy afternoon at the Birchwood, and in front of a decent size crowd, the new-look Town side was the quicker off the blocks and on 12 minutes a precision left wing cross from new signing Harry Shooman found Joe Radley-Martin unmarked at the near post who headed powerfully home to give us an early lead.

The goal galvanised us and minutes later a free kick from another new signing Sam Remfry had Pirates former Town keeper Stephanos at full stretchWith skipper Jack Barnes driving things well in central midfield each time we attacked we looked like scoring and Charlie Meehan was very unlucky, just striking their upright with a low drive.After early one way traffic the visitors eventually got into the match and started creating chances of their own, however we worked hard at the back to contain them, with Ross Edwards heading a wind assisted in swinging corner off the line.Both sides had valid penalty appeals turned down, us for hand ball and them for a foul.

Half Time 1-0 to us but should have been more.The second half started with the visitors looking sharper and five minutes in, a bullet header from Pirates frontman Jack Stone shot wide of Lucas to level the score.We regrouped and tried to press and Meehan was unlucky shooting just wide after a strong run in from the left.A long range attempt from Rob Clark cannoned back off their crossbar and barely a minute later we were back in front when Meehan jinked into their box to slip the ball inside the far post for 2-1.Our sprit restored, after a powerful drive from Shooman was well saved and Meehan hit another long range attempt just over the top we went further ahead when a low cross in from debutant sub Mark Goldson deflected in off a Pirates defender. 3-1.

Yes, a very promising start to the new season with a good solid team performance and all the debutants making their mark.

Man-of-the-match Charlie Meehan

Next up - next Saturday we are in FA Cup action with a trip up to South London to face Balham FC of the Combined Counties Premier Division. Venue = Mayfield Stadium, Thornton Heath CR7 6DN (KO 3pm)

Town line up - SzendelaGoetzke, Da Costa, Clark, Barnes (c), Cooper, Edwards, Remfry, Meehan (Leahy), Francis (Goldson), Radley-Martin (Hallet), Shooman (Olladouun) Unused - Rondal.

Little Common 2 Shoreham 1

report from Little Common FC

A goal two minutes into added time saw Little Common overturn a 1-0 half-time deficit to begin their season with a 2-1 victory over Shoreham on Saturday. The Commoners had to begin their season without regular goalkeeper Matt Cruttwell (who had got married the day before) and it was player manager Russell Eldridge who had to don the gloves for the afternoon.

New signings Ollie Black and Rosh Wells both made the starting line up on a windy afternoon at Little Common Rec. Common defended the wind in the first half and made a comfortable start fashioning the better of the first half chances, Jamie Crone saw a well struck effort whistle over the bar and Sam Ellis forced a good low save from the visiting keeper.

Paul Feakins saw an effort flash across the goal whilst at the other end, the make shift Common keeper was rarely troubled. With half time approaching it was the visitors who took the lead with their first shot of the half when a defensive mix up and an unfortunate ricochet left Danny Jones with an empty net to fire into.

The visitors saw an early second half free-kick clear the cross bar before Crone was agonisingly close to connecting with Freddie Warren’s cut back. The equaliser did arrive in the 67th minute when a Black throw was headed on by Lewis Hole before hitting the outstretched leg of a Shoreham defender and nestling in the back of the net.

Warren saw an effort of his own drift past the post before Paul Feakins had an effort blocked. With the match ebbing towards a draw, Common mustered one final attack and when Warren got to the byline and pulled the ball back to Ellis he made no mistake from close range. The visitors found time for one final attack of their own and Eldridge was able to tip a goal bound effort over the bar before the resulting corner saw a header bounce off the top of the bar to safety.

Pagham 0 Crawley Down Gatwick 1

report by Paul Davidson

Pagham were a little unlucky to drop all three points to a Crawley Down Gatwick side expected to be very near the top of the table all season. Both sides went hard at it right from the kick-off, but for all the huffing and puffing there were very few chances made at either end.

Pagham forward Kieron Howard was the first to try hs luck with a long-shot at goal in the 7th minute, but it flew well wide of the net. Jamie Carroll was next to have a go but again was well wide of the target. The Lions were playing at a very high tempo and were well on top but just could not find a way through the tough Anvils defence.

It was the visitors however that went closest to scoring when a canon of a shot from inside the penalty area crashed down off the bar onto the post and was hastily cleared for a corner.

Crawley were gradually taking control of the game and it took an excellent save from Conor Kelly in the Lions net to keep them out on the half hour. Kelly was called into action again three minutes later when it needed another exceptional save to keep the visitors out. It was not all Crawley though and the last two efforts of the half fell to Pagham.

Firstly Lukas Micevicius cut in from the left but his drivr was straight at keeper Bellingham, before a cross from the left was agonisingly just over Howard’s head with the goal gaping.

The Lions forced a corner early in the second half but after that it was the away side that had the majority of the possession as they drove continuously at the Pagham defence.

On around 70 minutes there was a real blast from the past when legendary Pagham (and many others) goalscorer Dan Simmons had a substitute appearance for Pagham to try to give the team some impetus up front. It was still almost all Crawley though and the winning goal came in the 80th minute when a chip over Kelly’s head from the right was nodded home by striker Oli Leslie for the only goal of the game.

Kelly was forced into two more superb one-on-one saves to keep his side in the game, but the final frantic few minutes failed to produce a decent chance for the Lions.

Pagham: Kelly, Hauxwell (Clark), Micevicius, Ford, Wollers, Atkinson, Davidson, Thorn (Kazlauskas), Howard (Simmons), Jefkins and Carroll. Non used subs: Dines and Heazman.

Hassocks 1-1 Eastbourne Town

by Scott McCarthy

The opening game of the 2023-24 Southern Combination League season took some time to get going, but once it did a big crowd at the Beacon were treated to some high-quality entertainment by Hassocks and Eastbourne Town.

It finished 1-1, a result which Robins head coach James Westlake said he felt fair afterwards. Most of those watching agreed with that assessment.

Both sides though could feasibly have walked away with all three points; Hassocks had they been a little more clinical and Town were it not for an extraordinary save from Fraser Trigwell right at the death. Evan Archibald thought he had won it with his traditional goal against Hassocks, only for Trigwell to somehow keep out the forward’s header one-handed at full stretch.

The Robins had created the better second half opportunities before that, including when hitting a post as they mounted wave upon wave of attacks towards the west end of the ground. In contrast, the first half was pretty turgid. It felt at times more like a pre-season friendly rather than the start of the competitive action.

There were appeals from the Town bench for a third minute penalty when George Cook went to ground under a Joe Bull challenge. Cook’s lack of protest was evidence that referee Perry Hart had made the correct call in awarding a corner rather than a spot kick. Mr Hart had a fine game overall. The only major decision he got wrong was to award Hassocks a free kick on the edge of the box following a well-timed Delwin Duah sliding tackle, from which Jack Troak drove a powerful effort through the wall which repelled by a strong Taylor Seymour wrist.

Seymour was in the midst of a busy weekend having been man-of-the-match for Burgess Hill in their 1-0 friendly win at Whitehawk the previous evening. Further chances before the break were limited. Town left winger Max Hollobone blasted into the children’s playground from a good position 18 yards out and Troak flashed a ball across the face of goal which neither Westlake nor Tom Frankland could quite latch onto. Hassocks debutant centre back Matt Gunn made a good block on the stroke of half time after a lovely 40 yard switch from Hollobone created a shooting opportunity for Ollie Davies cutting in from the right.

The Robins hitting the upright gave an early indication that the second 45 was going to be far more watchable than the first. Jamie Wilkes crossed, Benson’s glancing header came back off the post and Troak could not quite sort his body out in time as the rebound hit him from point blank range and diverted wide.

A few minutes later and Town took the lead. An attempted back pass to Trigwell from 30 yards away ended going out for a corner nowhere near the goalkeeper. Laughter at that comedic moment soon turned to despair. Hollobone whipped in a dangerous delivery turned in by the stretching Nathan Hover at the back post.

Town left back Harry Simmons almost diverted a Bull cross beyond Seymour, the relief on Simmons’ face being palpable when the ball flew inches wide.

That relief would prove to be short lived, however, as Simmons would go onto provide Hassocks with their equaliser on 67 minutes. Frankland nearly levelled before Simmons’ own goal arrived. Gunn

picked out Troak, who produced an outrageous piece of skill to lift the ball over the head of Leon Greig and escape down the left flank. From there, Troak hung up a cross to the back post. Frankland saw his initial header blocked by Simmons and then put the rebound into the side netting from a tight angle.

The lively Frankland made way after that for new loan signing from Three Bridges, Elliott Hanslow. It did not take long for Hanslow to make an impression, his pressure on Simmons leading the Town defender to turn a Bull cross into the back of his own net.

The final 20 minutes brought a flurry of action at both ends. For Hassocks, Westlake saw an effort saved by Seymour and then fired high, wide and handsome from a Pat Harding layoff.

Harding himself saw a snap volley on the turn blocked. Harding’s fellow substitute Ben Bacon crossed for Hanslow to head too high and Bacon then sent an effort into neighbouring Hurstpierpoint when he had more time to advance than he realised. For Town, Archibald saw a goal correctly ruled out for offside and Trigwell saved bravely at the feet of Charlie Gibson.

Town retained possession from Trigwell’s intervention, patiently working the ball back towards Greig. It was from here that Greig picked out the run of Archibald with a 50 yard aerial ball into the box, resulting in that brilliant save from Trigwell plunging to his left to preserve a point for the Robins.

Hassocks: Trigwell; B Tighe, Gunn, Bygraves, Bull; Frankland, J Westlake, Wilkes, Troak; Woolven, Benson. Subs: Harding (Woolven 64), Hanslow (Frankland 64), Bacon (Benson 81), S Smith, Brewer (unused).

Horsham YMCA 1-1 Newhaven

by Martin Read

Horsham YMCA kicked off their new league season in promising style with a hard fought home draw against Newhaven, recent strong contenders in the SCFL Premier Division, which has a refreshed look with 6 changes this season – Pagham and Shoreham being promoted in, while Haywards Heath return after relegation from the Isthmian, Broadbridge Heath exit promoted, and Alfold and Roffey relegated.

Against Newhaven, YM began brightly, Josh Neathey coming close before the Dockers’ Bailie Rogers was sent off mid way through the first half. Corners followed at either end, with Neathey shaving the goal, but neither side scored up to the break.

Resuming, YM created early opportunities, including two chances from Luke Donaldson, but Newhaven went ahead on the hour mark, through Ryan Warwick. Then, amid a plethora of cards for each side and extensive substitutions Tom Tolfrey drew YM level from close range. YM kept pressing, seeing two crosses scrambled away, the game ending one apiece.

Manager Dean Carden told the County Times: “That was a good, positive start for YM. We want teams coming here to experience a tough game, and that’s what we delivered. I was pleased with the performances of our two new signings – Callum Jardim, and my Man of the Match Brendan Milbarrow.”

and here is Newhaven’s report on the 1-1 draw with Horsham YMCA…

Ten-man Newhaven opened the 2023/24 season with a point away at Horsham YMCA following Bailie Rogers’ controversial first-half dismissal.

After a cagey opening 20 minutes, with little goalmouth action to speak of, Rogers was given his marching orders midway through the first half after a mele sparked by a foul committed by younger brother, Alfie. The decision was greeted with surprise by supporters of both teams, with the majority feeling the Newhaven left-back had been hard done by.

While YM failed to make their numerical advantage account for the remainder of the first-half, they came out after the restart with all guns blazing.

Were it not for a couple of fine saves from Jake Buss – the first of which was outstanding, flying across the goal to tip over a Dean Lovegrove shot that had seemed destined for the top corner – and a goalline clearance, then YM could have been home and dry inside the opening ten minutes.

Having ridden out the storm, though, it was the Dockers who took the lead. Some great interplay in the YM area between debutants Sean Stephenson, Luca Page and Ryan Warwick, culminated with the ball being played across goal for Warwick to open his Dockers account with a well-taken finish.

The smash and grab was on.

YM continued to push forward, and while Newhaven continued to defend well, the lead was never a comfortable one.

With 18 minutes remaining YM got the equaliser that their pressure had been threatening. A long throw-in caused havoc in the penalty area, and after a couple of ricochets that could have gone anywhere, the ball landed at the feet of Tom Tolfrey who tucked home the leveller.

With the match entering a lengthy period of injury time, the hosts were also reduced to ten men by virtue of the sin bin, after an assistant alerted the ref to something that was presumably said to him by Lovegrove.

With YM’s numerical advantage having been shorn, the Dockers very nearly won the match with the last kick of the game.

Substitute James Rhodes fed fellow sub Tyler Scrafton. Scrafton burst into the area, stepped past his marker and unleashed a well-hit shot that was dealt with by Aaron Jeal in the YM goal.

The match ended honours even with perhaps the Dockers being the happier of the two sides having had to play a large portion of the match a man down.

Newhaven Man of the Match: Jake Buss. A string of key saves – including one absolutely incredible effort – helped Newhaven to a hard-earned point.